• California Public defender killed in Mexico, family believes it was a brutal crime.
• Died at Las Rocas Resort in Rosarito Beach.
• Found outside room in underwear, socks, and T-shirt.

The family of a public defender from California who passed away in Mexico while commemorating his wedding anniversary thinks he was the victim of a “brutal crime,” their attorney said on Tuesday.

Elliot Blair, 33, passed away on Saturday in front of his hotel room at Las Rocas Resort and Spa in Rosarito Beach, about 32 miles south of San Diego, according to a statement from the attorney David Scarsone.

According to him, the event happened in a public walkway on the third floor of the resort. According to the lawyer’s statement, Blair was discovered outside a room where he and his wife had previously been in his underwear, socks, and a sleeping T-shirt.

Blair’s family was informed about his passing by a “liaison” to the neighbourhood coroner’s office, according to the lawyer’s statement, rather than by local authorities.

Blair’s death was attributed to serious head trauma, and the family was informed by the liaison—who is unnamed in the statement—that his case had been sent to prosecutors for probable homicide inquiry.

A request for response from Hilda Araceli Brown Figueredo, the mayor of Rosarito Beach, went unanswered. The hotel has been cooperating closely with local authorities, according to a spokeswoman for Las Rocas Resort, who declined to make any additional comments.

The Baja California attorney general stated in a statement released to NBC News on Wednesday that an investigation revealed Blair appears to have fallen from the third level just before 1 a.m. When police and medical staff discovered him, he was lifeless, according to the statement.

The autopsy revealed that his injuries were most likely caused by a fall rather than a violent act, according to the statement. According to the statement, an inquiry discovered no indication of violence in the room occupied by Blair and his wife.

The report claims that alcohol use was detected during the autopsy. Blair wasn’t drunk, according to Scarsone, and the toxicology report wasn’t finished.

According to the statement from the attorney general, American officials had been in contact with Mexican authorities “from the first day and have been given all the information so, in turn, efforts can be made to inform and aid relatives of the deceased lawyer.”

According to the U.S. State Department, it is aware of allegations of a citizen’s death in Rosarito Beach, Mexico.

“We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance,” the department said in a statement Wednesday. “Out of respect to the family during this difficult time, we have no further comment.”

According to Scarsone, Blair’s family intends to conduct a private inquiry with the help of a forensic pathologist and private investigator.

“Elliot was a brilliant attorney with a bright future,” the statement said. “Elliot’s smile was radiant and warmed the hearts of every person he came in contact with. Elliot had an innate ability to connect with people from all walks of life.”

According to Orange County Public Defender Martin Schwarz, Blair has been employed by the office since 2017, the year he took the bar test. Schwarz told the publication that his wife Kimberly was employed by the public defender’s office as well.

Blair, according to him, “committed his life to serving his clients and helping the county’s most vulnerable,” he said. Blair was also “a superb lawyer, wonderful guy, and loyal husband.”

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